Public schools in Spearfish, SD
9 open public schools with an address in Spearfish, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
9
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
2,398
9 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
11.8:1
South Dakota median 12.5:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Spearfish public schools
The federal directory lists 9 public schools in Spearfish, SD: 3 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high. The 9 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 2,398 students, an average of 266 per school. The largest campus is Spearfish High School - 01 (787 students), and the largest elementary school is Creekside Elementary - 07 (553).
Spearfish School District 40-2 operates the most schools here (7), plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 11.8:1, lower than the statewide school median of 12.5:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 2 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 0 of 2 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 19% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Spearfish
Elementary schools in Spearfish
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creekside Elementary - 07 Spearfish School District 40-2 | 03–05 | 553 | 15.5:1 | |
| Mountain View Elementary - 08 Spearfish School District 40-2 | KG–KG | 168 | 11.8:1 | |
| West Elementary - 03 Spearfish School District 40-2 | 01–02 | 322 | 10.5:1 |
Middle schools in Spearfish
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Academy at Canyon Hills - 08 Black Hills Special Services Cooperative · Alternative School | 04–08 | 0 | — | |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 Spearfish School District 40-2 · Alternative School | 04–08 | 2 | 0.8:1 | |
| Spearfish Middle School - 05 Spearfish School District 40-2 | 06–08 | 545 | 14.9:1 |
High schools in Spearfish
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 07 Black Hills Special Services Cooperative · Alternative School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 Spearfish School District 40-2 · Alternative School | 09–12 | 21 | 6.8:1 | |
| Spearfish High School - 01 Spearfish School District 40-2 | 09–12 | 787 | 16.9:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White85.8%
- Hispanic4.8%
- Black0.6%
- Asian1%
- American Indian / Alaska Native2.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial5%
Enrollment-weighted across 7 Spearfish schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (2,398 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Spearfish
How many public schools are in Spearfish, SD?
The current NCES directory lists 9 open public schools with a location address in Spearfish: 3 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high. Together they reported 2,398 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Spearfish?
Schools with an address in Spearfish belong to 2 education agencies, led by Spearfish School District 40-2 (7 schools), Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Spearfish?
Spearfish High School - 01 reported the largest high-school enrollment in Spearfish, with 787 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Spearfish?
No school with an address in Spearfish is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in South Dakota.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Spearfish schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Spearfish public schools is 11.8:1, lower than the South Dakota school median of 12.5:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Spearfish guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby South Dakota cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All South Dakota cities